Nickel cadmium, or nicad, batteries were fitted to most early models of turbine aircraft because they have higher power output and flatter discharge rates than similarly sized lead-acid batteries of that era. In other words, the nicad would produce its rated power for relatively longer periods before dropping off into a state of total discharge. That's especially important when starting a turbine engine because the amount of power required to crank the engine actually increases as the engine speeds up near idle.
Bombardier recently announced that it would restart production of the CRJ200/Challenger 850 aircraft platform in mid-April at the company's Dorval facility - primarily to meet demand for the Challenger 850 business jet. It will also recall approximately 50 furloughed Dorval employees. On October 2005, Bombardier announced the suspension of the production of the CRJ200 aircraft platform, which of course threw out the Challenger 850 baby with the CRJ200 bathwater.
Voyager Jet Center, an aircraft management and flight services company and the FBO at Pennsylvania's Allegheny County Airport, announced the addition of three business jets to its aircraft management service, two fresh-from-the-factory Hawkers, an 800XP and a 400XP, and a Challenger 604.
GAMA, NBAA, AOPA and NATA are sufficiently concerned about pressure from the FAA to shift to "a stable funding source" (read user fees) to ask their respective memberships to directly contact their senators and representatives in support of fuel tax funding of the Aviation Trust Fund. A major difference of opinion exists as to the viability and stability of the Trust Fund in the future. The airlines have thrown the gauntlet on shifting a major portion of the passenger taxes onto corporate operators.
The FAA and the National Park Service have launched an environmental study of actions that could be taken to restore natural quiet at Grand Canyon National Park. The agencies plan to work with the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group to develop options for restoring quiet, a contentious issue that has pitted environmental interests against aircraft operators for two decades. In addition, the agencies are working through an alternative dispute resolution process through the U.S. Institute of Environmental Conflict Resolution.
London Executive Aviation has taken delivery of an Embraer Legacy which it is managing for a client based at London-Luton. Embraer had operated the 12-passenger as a demonstrator. The new owner has indicated interest in purchasing additional business jets and confirmed that LEA would manage them.
Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, Calif., recently held grand-opening ceremonies to mark the completion of a 67,500-square-foot hangar that will be used by Pratt & Whitney. The $12 million structure will be used for aircraft maintenance and repair programs. The airport is the former George Air Force Base, now a 5,000-acre multi-modal business complex.
Executive Jet Management added three aircraft to its charter fleet -- a Challenger 604 based at Boeing Field in Seattle, a Falcon 2000EX based at Dallas Love Field in Dallas and a Hawker 800 based at Cuyahoga County Airport in Cleveland.
Mooney Airplane Company is offering a retrofit program to operators of its M20R and M20S models that is designed to increase power and dramatically shorten takeoff distances. The modification increases the output of the Teledyne Continental IO-550 G engines in those aircraft to 310 horsepower at 2,700 rpm, reduces takeoff distance by up to 55 percent and improves the rate of climb by about 300-feet-per- minute. The upgrade increases static thrust by about 70 percent, according to Al Nitchman, vice president of customer support for Mooney.
It was about 0720 as the cargo airplane, an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, stripped of its passenger seats, taxied to the active at Manchester, N.H., Airport, its flaps set at 25 percent. The Bandit was bound for Bangor International loaded with small packages.
Some big names no longer answer at roll call: Commander, Mitsubishi, Swearingen, Cheyenne, Conquest to name the most memorable. The ranks of new turboprop-powered business aircraft have thinned, and there is little likelihood that the expired lines will be revived anytime soon, if ever.
Alteon Training, a Boeing subsidiary, broke ground on a new regional training center in Singapore on Feb. 16. The Singapore training center is located near Changi International Airport in the eastern part of Singapore. Opening in October, 2006, the approximately 7,000-square-meter facility will have the capability to train more than 6,000 pilot and flight attendant students per year.
BCI Jets, LLC of Sugar Grove, Ill., has launched the Genesis program, an effort to create "custom jetliners" by acquiring former commercial transports, converting them to an executive or VIP configuration and then reselling them to business aircraft operators.
-Gulfstream 200 and Galaxy airplanes -- Update the "limitations" section of the airplane flight manual by incorporating revised takeoff performance tables. -Honeywell International T53 engines -- Perform initial and repetitive visual and dimensional inspections of the fuel-control regulator assembly's main and secondary driveshaft and pump gear splines.
Finally, and sadly, James Gilbert, who was one of the best and most elegant of aviation journalists, and whose work for B&CA won plaudits internationally, is gone. (See Intelligence, page 11). That is our loss, and yours. But it serves to help focus on those who remain. And on that score, I'm happy to report that they are very, very good.
Author's Note: I recently underwent refresher training at FlightSafety International in Wilmington, Del., which serves Global Express and the Gulfstream V pilots, among others. After spending several days talking with my colleagues concerning their trips and operations, I came away with the strong impression that none of us anticipated how the executives would use these airplanes. More than the introduction of any other airplanes in corporate aviation, the Global Express and GV have changed forever how international business is accomplished.
In December 2005, Premier Air Center of East Alton, Ill., delivered its first Dassault Falcon 50 equipped with Universal Navigation 890R flat-panel displays, and a second such Falcon 50 was to be delivered by the end of February.
Adam Aircraft announced the Feb. 4 first flight of the first conforming A700 AdamJet, s.n. 002, one of three aircraft slated for FAA flight-testing. The FJ-33-powered twin-jet, piloted by Bill Watters, vice president of Flight Operations, and Ken Sasine, senior turbine test pilot, flew the pattern for its intended 34-minute maiden flight at Centennial Airport (APA), Englewood, Colo. "The aircraft handled very well, stability was excellent and the flight controls were very responsive and predictable," commented Sasine.
Most FBO firms are single-facility operations with annual revenues of less than $1 million, according to a study by Dublin, Ireland, research firm, Research and Markets. About 50 companies have annual revenue over $10 million and operate facilities at multiple airports. About 1,500 companies provide airport support services to the general aviation market, with combined annual revenue of $3 billion.
This latest version of the popular AOPA watch is made exclusively by Timex for AOPA and has the accuracy of a chronograph along with dual time zones. The AOPA Pilot Chronograph features a 100-hour chronograph, alarm, 24-hour countdown timer, hourly chime, 12/24 hour time, month/day/date, and luminescent hands. The AOPA Pilot Chronograph is water resistant to 50 meters and has an all-day Indiglo display on the digital portion and a special Night-Mode for the analog face. It is available with a stainless steel or leather band and either a black or red/blue logo.
Congress won't have a lot of time for taking care of business this year because of an early fall adjournment for election campaigning, notes David Collogan, editor of our sister publication, The Weekly of Business Aviation. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) wants to adjourn Oct. 6, leaving only 130 working days between now and then, says Frist's budget and appropriations adviser, G. William Hoagland. The House's schedule is likewise "compressed" this year, also due to the election, another congressional aide said.
BLR Aerospace recieved STC SA01615SE for their Super King Air 200 Winglet System, designed to reduce drag, save fuel, increase cruise speed and vertical rate of climb while improving handling qualities. "They're here and they work," says Dave Marone, BLR director of sales and marketing. "The Winglet System installs easily and performs as designed." Production tooling for the winglets is now complete and BLR delivered its first shipset to Cutter Aviation in January. Tulsair is is the first FBO to install the winglets on a King Air (owned by Werco Manufacturing).
Radiant Energy Corp., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Radiant Aviation Services has developed and sells the world's only infrared alternative to traditional glycol-based aircraft deicing. Its patented InfraTek systems are approved for use by the FAA. Prior to the introduction of InfraTek, spraying with glycol was the only feasible method to satisfy the FAA's safety guidelines for ensuring that aircraft are properly deiced prior to take-off. Three InfraTek systems are in currently in operation at Newark International Airport, Rhinelander, Wisc. and Oslo, Norway.
